Method for making multicolored rubber articles



Feb. 5, 1935. c. w. LEGUILLON METHOD FOR MAKING MULTICOLORED RUBBER ARTICLES Filed Jan. 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JUL/5717.727}? Feb. 5, 1935. c w LEGUILLON 1,989,702

METHOD FOR MAKING MULTICOLORED RUBBER ARTICLES Filed Jan. 5, 1931 2 sheetsfi heet 2 [hay/e5 [4/15 e ui/Zarz 1 7 zi/AAA... "a 5 42 r Patented F eb. 5, 1935 UNITED; STATES METHOD FOR MAKING MULTICOIHJORED 1 RUBBER ARTICLES.

Charles'W. Leguillom Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York,N Y.,

a corporationof New York' ,Application January 5,

I I 11 Claims:

This invention relates to the'manufacture of rubber and particularly to the manufacture -of embossed rubber "articles such as rubber labels having the lettering'composed of a rtibberbom- .5 position of a diifer'ent' color from that in the base. An object of thisinvention is acc'ordingly'to provide an apparatus by means of which multicolored labels or like articles may beproduced quickly and accurately, Another object is to provide a method for the production of such articles, either in their. simplest form or in 'a" plurality of colors. Other objects will be apparent from the following description offthe invention.

In the accompanying drawingsFig. l isa' diagrammatic representation, partly in section, of an improved apparatus adapted'tothe' practice of this invention; Fig.2 is a perspective view of the mold after passingthrough the machine shown in Fig. 1, parts of the mold being'broken away. Fig. 3 illustrates the application of aba'cking sheet to the deposits in themold f Fig. 4'shows the backing sheet with the deposits attached after =removalfrom the mold. Fig. 5shows a bicolored label or medallion produced-by cutting upthe sheet of Fig. 4. Fig. 6', Fig.7, and Fig:"8 showthe successive steps in the-manufacture of an'other form of bicolored medallion which is illustrated in finished'form'in Fig. QL'empIoying amodmearorm of apparatus. Fig. lO-showsa group of the medallions of Fig. 9 transferred to a' common backing.

" The -apparatusof FigQlcOrnpzises essentially a table 10, suitablysupported as by a-fram'e'wdrk 11,'an extrusion'device'consisting of a body 12 'with a long, -narrow nozzle"l3, 'and aplunger 14, mounted above the table lOat such'adistance that a mold 15 may be moved laterally between the nozzle 13' and the table 10,- and means such as the fluid-operated plunger 16 for moving themold '40 '15. The plate or mold l5 contains-a series of engraved cavities 17 in its'fupper surface.- 1n the preferred form shown in'the drawings a thin plate of'metalj'l8 is separably mounted on the mold 15, being held in positionfby the pins 19, 19. The'cav it'ies '17 extend through the plate 18 into the mold 15. I i V 1 In the operation of'the apparatus, a plastic rubber mass 20 is placed in the'throatof the extrusion device and forced downwardly by pressure 50 put on the plunger 14, at the same time that the mold 15 is moved laterallyun'der the nozzle T8 in the direction of "the arrow by pressure applied to the plunger 15. The rubber mass 20 is squeezed into each successive cavityasit passes under the nozzle, producingthe localized rubber deposits 21,

lost-serial No. 506,551

the excess rubber being sheared off by the nozzle '13. A scraper or doctor blade 22, urged against the face of the mold 15 by a spring 23, may be provide'dto remove such of the rubber as may squeeze out'between the nozzle 13 and the upper surface of the plate 18 on the mold 15.

It is found that even the scraper 22 is not always capable of removing all excess rubber from the upper surface of the mold 15, particularly if the mold is not absolutely true, or issomewhat worn or abraded. Any such rubber remaining on the mold'woiild adhere to the backing sheet in thesubsequent-steps of this process, producing unsightly blemishes. This defect is overcome by providing the separate plate 18 to receive such excess rubber, the plate 18 being removed from the mold 15, without disturbing the deposits 21, before the backing sheet is applied. Fig. 2 shows the mold 15 with its cavities filled with rubber deposits 21, part'of the plate 18 being broken away to show the relation of the deposits to the base portion of the'mold l5.

After the plate 18 is removed, a sheet of flexible backing "material 24, preferably unvulcanized rubber'or rubberized fabric of a different color from that of the deposits 21, is placed on the face of the mold 15'and pressed into adhesive contact with=the deposits, as indicated in Fig. 3, whereupon the backing material 24 may be stripped from the mold 15, carrying with it the deposits 21. The aspect'of the product is illustrated inFig. 4. If it is desired, the sheet may be employed as a whole for any purpose for which a sheet ofmaterial having projecting portions, particularly of a contrastingcolor, may be useful. On the other hand,'ifthepurpose is to make rubber medallions or labels, the sheet may be cut up, say along the broken lines of Fig.4,producing individual bicolored; medallions such as that shown in Fig. 5.

According to another embodiment of my invention a mold '15, shown in Fig. 6, provided with a covering plate 18 has cavities 17 engraved therein.'. In the particular form shown, the cavities 17 are provided witha border 25 extending appreciably into the base portion of the mold 15, while the'central portion of the cavities extends only through the covering plate 18. The edges of the portion ofeach cavity lying within the covering plate 18 are inclined-upward toward the center, to facilitate removal of the plate 18 as well as for a further purpose which will be explained below, The mold and covering plate are passed under-an extruding device such as than shown in Fig. 1, and the cavities 17 are thereby filled with deposits 21 of a colored rubber composition,

whereupon the covering plate 18 is removed leaving the deposits in place on the base portion of the mold 15.

A second mold is provided, consisting of the two parts 26 and 27 shown upside down in Fig. '7. The part 26 (normally uppermost) represents a covering plate separably mounted on the base part 27. Cavities-23am engraved through the thickness of the covering plate '26, "but are not permitted to penetrate the base 27. On the contrary, the base 27 is provided with projections29 extending into the cavities,'-;-; a:ndV=corresponding second mold with the covering-plate 28 ir1 pl=aoe on top of the base 27 is passed beneath an extruv sion apparatus such as that showei'in Fig. 1, whereby the cavities are :fil-ledoeith deposits ;30:o f :a rubber composition-ofiai-col contrasting twith -that=:of the-deposits 2 1. ,A smooth galatersl is superimposed ton "-the Arnold and the deposits therein, :and the assemblmis turned upside "down to bring the parts into the position shown in Fig. Hi, whereupon theibase-QF ismemoved.

- After-the base-2'7 :i-s iremoved from the-second 'mol'd-iitiexposesathe :lower qsurfacesof thevcovering sheet.-26 .an d ,the, deposits i311 therein, :as well as .the .se-ries of wdQ'PIESSiOHS in the deposits acorrespending to :the projecting portions 30f rthe deposits .-21. The-basezportion-of the mold.-15 with the deposits 21 -the-reon is then turnednupside down and placeclrc-n .the .sheeto26 (with the projecting ,por-tions'of (the deposits :17 fitting in the depressions inthetdeposits 3.0 aas shown ;-in,l 1ig.-8. The inclination of the sides of v--tl;1e deposits 417 iacilitate "is: accurate juxtaposition :of the plates and their espeoti-velrubber deposits and obviates an accidental distortions of :the nubberncaused vJoy the edges of the depositscatchingtorinterfering withioneanother, I r w x fifhefinishedtmedallion or ilabelimayibe vulcanized either partially =.-or completely within the .mold constituted by the three plates ,15, 2fi, and 31 .in ,Fig. =3, or it "maybe .removed a-therefrom an unvulcan-ized \condition by ,separating the three iplates. It ;is;.evident that ;the ,finished medallionflshown ineEig. ..-9 corresponds essentially to a that of .Ilig. 15, exceptthat the preformed deposit v3O Lis substituted .ior .lthe portion -.of the backing ,sheet 24, .and .that .the some of the :=two -deposits 17 "and "30 are Joroug'htto wthe :same .level 'byian ingenious design of -;the molds. The Ifully molded article: of vEigAllis produced by' ,sub- ,stiltuting a ifew simple .rnanipulations for the laborious :and rather inaccurate gpr'ocess of .outting up the sheet .of. me'dallionsshownsin '4.

Although the invention has been described above .withreferenee to avery simple embodiment of vthe invention; namely; :a plain qdiamond- :s'haped medallion, .it is obviously notlimited thereto, fl'he deposits ;may be, termed spran- ,tically :any shape, ssimple .or ,intricate, iandz-may ,beproduced withesmooth surfaces or withtletterfling 1 or other .designs .impressed ithereon, simply by engraving Mthe molds with ,the (converse of the designs, which are wanted. Such :;modifications will be obvious ,to those Skilledlindhe -.art ,of designing or making molds. v V I If desired, the combined .deposits J17 and :30, insteadofbeingsremoved .asnafinishedimedallion, may be .--affixed xto. a backingtsheet 32 etc "produce the product shown in Fig, by removing the principles of this invention many different col- "ored deposits may be combined in almost any t'desiredgpattem. H

llhemedallions or other articles produced by the ,practicepf this invention'may be useful as ',}s1Ich, either i infthe' ftmvulcanized state or after .vulcan'iaation onthey may be afiixed, preferably before vulcanization. tc'rubber articles such as lbootsand shoes, tires, water bottles, etc., and

changes may-be maple in the processuniroduct hereinbefore rdesc .d without exceeding the .spir-i-t and-scope =this, rinvention. It is to ,be understood ther re that =.the,invention "iSYIIGt ,to be limited ex t,as my-. be;=required by,the

,priorrarttsand as indicatedin thegappended claims. v

q 1 claim:

1, The I method of ,-,making gs; icornpositelgstruca ture :oomprises producing :loealized deposit\of rubber in-the cayi-ties of open-cavity engraved mold consisting of abase plate ,andan covering ,plate, =-the cavities of; TWhiCh-BXtBI1d entinelv-throughthezupper covering plate removing thea:overi-ru; plate together -wy5excess-rubr ,berssuperimposing: on thei-deposit amass zof rubber greater in extent than thecdeposit, andsremovin ,thevcomposite structure-irom themold. 1

3. The method of making a composite structe swhichicomprisesprogressively.filling witlra plastic -r-ubber composition of :one -;col or the cavities of ane-open-lcavity engraved ,mold consisting of a base;.plate;and fan uDD -coVering-plate, the caviities of :which extend rentir-elythrough the. upper r covering mlate, =removing the icovering ;-plate together with anyexcessvrubber', superimposing on rthe edeposit .'.a mass of :rubber of 1 another color .greatero-inqextent than the deposit, and {stripping the composite .-struc ture from the mold.

A. The-method of making: a, composite structure which comprises progressively filling with-a plastic unvuicanized irubbereomposition 'of' one color ,plurality of lcavities in an open-cavity engraved mold consisting of a base plate and an upper covering plate, h-thetcavities of nWhiGh extend "en- ,tirelythrough-the,upperrcovering plate, removing .the-coyeringgplate together with: any excess :rub- ,ber superimposing on the deposits :a continuous sheet of un-vulcanized .rubber or" another color, stripping the sheet and the ,deposits ;from the mold, cutting upthe sheetinto=individualmedal- .lions andyulcaruzing thelubber.

5. EIhemethod .ofmaldng acomposite structure which comprises producing a localized deposit of rubber on a supporting surface, separately producing a second localized deposit of rubber of greater extent on another supporting surface, and juxtaposing the two supporting surfaces, whereby the respective deposits are brought in adhesive contact one with another with the margin of one deposit extending beyond that of the other.

6. The method of making a composite structure which comprises producing a localized deposit of a rubber composition in a predetermined configuration on a supporting surface, separately producing a second localized deposit of a diff erent rubber composition in a corresponding configuration but of greater extent on another supporting surface, juxtaposing the two supporting surfaces to bring the respective deposits into adhesive contact one with another with the margin of one deposit extending beyond that of the other, and removing the united deposits from their supports.

7. The method of making a composite structure which comprises producing a localized deposit of colored rubber in a predetermined configuration on a supoprting surface, separately producing a second localized deposit of rubber of another color on a second supporting surface in such a configuration that it will not completely mask the first-mentioned deposit when superposed thereon, juxtaposing the two supporting surfaces to bring the respective deposits into adhesive contact with one another, and removing the united deposits from their supports.

8. A method as in claim 7, in which the united rubber deposits are subsequently vulcanized.

9. A method as in claim 7, in which the united rubber deposits are aflixed to an unvulcanized rubber article and vulcanized therewith.

10. A method of making a composite structure which comprises progressively filling with a plastic rubber composition of one color the cavities of an open-cavity engraved mold consisting of a base-plate and an upper covering plate, the cavities of which extend entirely through the upper covering plate, removing the covering plate together with any excess rubber, progressively filling with a plastic rubber composition of another color the cavities of a second two-part opencavity mold, the cavities of which likewise extend entirely through the upper covering plate of the mold and are so shaped as to inclose rubber deposits greater in extent than the deposits formed in the first-mentioned mold and adapted to cooperate with them in the formation of a bicolored decorative rubber article, removing the covering plate from the second mold together with any excess rubber, juxtaposing the two molds to bring the respective series of deposits in adhesive contact in the predetermined mutual cooperative relationship with one another, and vulcanizing the rubber.

11. A method as in claim 10, in which the united rubber deposits are affixed to rubber surfaces before vulcanization.

CHARLES W. LEGUILLON. 

